1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and device for making envelopes and the stuffing of those envelopes at a time when the envelopes are still relatively open for easy insertion of the stuffers.
Advertising by mail holds a prominent place in our present society. Companies wishing to advertise their products and services develop or purchase mailing lists of prospective customers. Business is solicited from each of the persons on the mailing lists by sending them advertising materials. Thus the stuffing of envelopes with advertising inserts is big business. It is with this in mind that applicants have developed their device and method of inserting stuffers into envelopes at a stage in the envelope production when they are not yet closed and it is easy to insert stuffers. Also, newspaper publishers have discovered a lucrative supplement to their income by distributing various companies advertising materials with their newspapers. Recently the Sunday newspapers have had great numbers of these "flyers" or advertising pieces and they are easily lost because of their smaller size. It is another contemplated use of the present invention to insert all of these supplement stuffers into one large envelope to thereby insure delivery of all of the advertising sheets and folders to every newspaper customer.
Envelopes have been previously automatically stuffed but as a rule those stuffings have been made into pre-formed envelopes. When pre-formed envelopes are used it is necessary to employ means such as air streams to open the envelopes for easy reception of the stuffers or inserts. In the present invention the envelopes being manufactured are not closed until after the stuffers are delivered into the envelopes and thus applicants' present invention simplifies the stuffing of envelopes.
Applicants' invention contemplates the insertion into envelopes of plural stuffers whether those plural stuffers are inserted all at one station or at a plurality of stations. Also, applicants' invention further contemplates the manufacture of both the envelopes and the stuffers from a single pre-printed continuous web so that with a single web being introduced the output is a plurality of sealed and stuffed envelopes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A search of the prior art has produced a variety of patents showing continuous web folding and cutting and including envelope construction and assemblies.
The Volks et al. U.S. Re. Pat. No. 25,961 shows and describes a device for assembling inserts into envelopes during their formation. However, in this prior patent the envelopes are formed from pre-cut blanks completely separated from a continuous paper web prior to any insertion of stuffers.
The Steidinger U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,799 relates to an envelope assembly and is concerned among other things with the registration of plies of insert sheets during imprinting and providing a tear strip on the plies of insert sheets for tearing open a sealed envelope. This is not a teaching of envelope manufacture from a continuously printed web such as is applicants' invention.
The Johnson et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,800 shows a bank envelope constructed to have a deposit slip formed as a part of the envelope and including a perforation strip to permit easy removal of the deposit slip for the manual insertion into the envelope by the bank customer.
The Green U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,752 relates to the making of a disposable garment from a continuous paper web. This is not envelope construction but it does disclose the use of glue and the formation of an object, in this case a garment, from a continuous web. Here also, separate continuous webs are used to form different parts of the garment and are attached to the garment of the first web by glue strips. This does not anticipate the envelope making, stuffing and sealing as applicants do in their invention.
The Traise U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,294 shows a composite mailer and return envelope assembly. In this prior patent the insert material constitutes the envelope body as it is folded and perforations permit the envelope to be torn open. Again, this does not anticipate applicants' invention of stuffing envelopes during their formation and the subsequent sealing thereof.
Our own earlier patent to Gregoire U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,314 is directed to a rotary cutter of continuous paper webs and could be useable in the making of the envelopes of this invention. Similarly our own earlier patent to Gregoire et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,711 on an adjustable paper plow is utilized in the present invention in the folding over of web portions involved in the making of envelopes and stuffing them during their formation. Still further our own earlier patent to Gregoire et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,485 relating to the making of multiple page printed booklets could be an important adjunct in the making of envelope stuffers in the combination invention shown and described herein.